Red Island House is a rural paradise on the shore of Lough Mask. With 5 acres of grounds running right down to your own private stretch of shoreline, it is a perfect retreat for fishermen, ornithologists, wild swimmers, hikers, star-gazers, kayakers, or just people who like to curl up in front of the fire with a book.
The space
Red Island House is one of the most idyllic places imaginable, on the boundary between Connemara and Joyce Country in the far west of Ireland. Located 3km down a private rural road, it sits in a large plot of land with 200m of private lake frontage - perfect for mooring a fishing boat or launching kayaks.
The views over Maumtrasna and the Partry Mountains are spectacular, and you can enjoy the constantly changing West of Ireland light in perfect isolation, accompanied only by the sounds of the wildlife - Lough Mask is a Special Protection Area, supporting nationally important populations of Curlews, Lapwings, Grebes, Tufted Ducks, and many more species.
The house itself is a typical 1980's building commonly found in the West of Ireland. What they lack in charm when compared to traditional smaller old thatched cottages, they make up for with warmth, space, and light. There are 4 bedrooms - One large double with en-suite bathroom, two twin rooms, sharing a larger bathroom, and a smaller room with a bunk bed. There are three bathrooms. One family bathroom, a second much smaller shower/toilet room, and a third en suite bathroom for the larger double room.
There is a large kitchen/dining room and a huge separate living room, both with spectacular views across the lake and mountains. The kitchen is big enough for long, messy family meals, and there is also a second kitchen for messier fishermen's jobs. The living room has more than enough seating for everyone, and a log burner to keep things cosy on winter's nights. There is a huge amounts of storage space for kayaks, surf boards, fishing tackle and wet weather gear.
There is a smart TV in the house for rainy days, and the connected WiFi will allow you to access your own streaming services. Alternatively bring a hard-drive and HDMI cable with your favourite movies if you need something to park the children in front of from time to time!
There also a large indoor table tennis table, outdoor archery kit and proper metal pétanque/boules set.
Please bring your own firewood and firelighters etc for the stove if you intend to use it. We used to provide everything it was rather prone to over-use so we now ask everyone to bring their own. :) All petrol stations in the area sell firewood and firelighters, as do most supermarkets.
There is a large grill rack for outdoor cooking in the garden/beach area.
Outdoors:
The local area is full of things to do and see. (For fishing, see separate paragraph below)
For outdoors enthusiasts there is enough to last a lifetime. Connemara has some of the most beautiful and deserted beaches in Europe so lovers of surfing, kayaking, wild swimming, sailing, and SCUBA diving will be spoilt for choice. There are also unlimited rivers and lakes to explore. The mountain walking is spectacular, with classic traverses like The Twelve Bens, the Maumturks, and the Partry Mountains, or Croagh Patrick further to the North. Irish mountains are much wilder than those on the continent, so take warm clothes and maps. Paths aren't signposted as regularly, and the Atlantic weather can change at very short notice. But the scenery will take your breath away, just as much as the climbs.
Cycling is a great way of seeing rural Mayo and Galway, as the roads, though narrow, are typically very quiet. The house does not have bikes, but they can be rented locally.
Indoors
If the weather forces you inside, there are still plenty of things to do in the area. Kylemore Abbey, Ashford Castle, tours of the charming village of Cong, or day trips into beautiful Galway (European capital of Culture in 2020) or Clifden, the 'capital of Connemara'.
There is also a log burning stove, constantly fluctuating library, and selection of board games, table-tennis, archery, and pétanque.
The coffee maker is the traditional 'French Press' cafetière style as we can't recycle Nespresso pods locally.
Fishing:
Plenty of books have been written about the fishing on Lough Mask, Lough Corrib, and the other nearby loughs and rivers. There is simply too much to list, and the very best place for this information is undoubtedly a local guide. There are also a number of excellent French, Dutch and German-speaking guides working in the area. These guides will often be able to provide reduced-cost boat hire, so a day or two with a guide is a great way to start a holiday.
From Duckfly hatches in March and April, through the famous Mayfly season, buzzers, wetfly and 'dapping' through to late summer and the increasingly popular Caenis fishing, there is plenty to interest the fly fisher throughout the whole season. Lough Corrib is just a 20 minute drive away, and also holds enough fishing to last many lifetimes. There is also superb pike and perch fishing in Lough Mask and Lough Corrib. The house even has a dedicated 2nd kitchen for fish preparation! Local guides and boat hire are very reasonably priced, and are highly recommended to newcomers to a Lough the size of Mask. There is excellent river fishing within less than 10 minutes drive of the house, on the Finny, the Maam, the Joyce, the Bealnabrook, the Shranalong and the Owenglen, as well as world famous salmon fishing to the west in the Erriff (at Aasleagh Lodge) and Bundorragha river (at Delphi).
It can't be stressed how extensive, and yet how accessible, the fishing in this part of Ireland is. There is simply too much to cover, and a guide will add so much value and enjoyment to your holiday that it can't be recommended enough.
Fishing equipment can be bought locally if you are new to fishing. €50 will get you everything you need to catch perch, or perhaps a trout or pike if you're lucky, from the end of the garden. If you are hiring a guide and boat (highly recommended!), they will be able to provide all necessary equipment for whichever species you're after.
Guest access
A car is necessary to access Red Island House. There is parking for half a dozen cars if needed. 4x4 is not necessary - a standard small rental car is more than capable of navigating the road to the house.
Other things to note
There are continual cosmetic improvements being made to the property, so do not be surprised if the photos seem a little different to the house when you arrive!
